Hackers Hit Springfield Website

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Springfield officials are offering 2,100 people free identity theft protection for a year after an internationally known group claimed it hacked into the city’s website and stole residents’ personal information.

KYTV reports the city’s website was compromised Feb. 17, and a day later a group known as Anonymous tweeted that it had hacked Missouri government websites.

The group says it will not release information from private citizens, such as Social Security numbers, birth dates and cell phone numbers. But Springfield City Manager Greg Burris says the city is offering one year of ID theft protection insurance to affected residents, just in case.

Burris says the protection will cost a little less than $50,000 to the city, which also is reviewing security measures to prevent future hacking.